Annunciator.



No. 798,659. PATBNTED SEPT. 5, 1905. G. G. GADDEN & J. I. GBMMILL.

ANNUNGIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 11,1003.

w @lii will! I- mu GI. mmmm WMYOI. R C- UNITED PATENT OFFIQE.

CHARLES C. CADDEN AND JAMES V I. GFMMHiL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGUORS TO \VlLLlAMS-ABBOTT .ICLEOTRIO COMPANY, OF CLEVE- LAND, OHIO.

ANNUNCIATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, Cimnnns C. Oannnx and Janos I. GEMMILL, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Annunciators, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to visual signals in their individual capacity and in association with spring-jacks, and in certain of itsfeatures contemplates the improvement in the construction of annunciators employing drops or shutters, while the invention in other of its aspects is adapted for use in connection with a variety of forms of visual signals.

It is one object of our invention to provide improved mechanism whereby the shutters or drops may be automatically restored when connection with the line corresponding to the annunciator is effected. To this end we employ a longitudinally-reciprocating restoring rod or stem that is adapted when actuated to engage the annunciator-shutter and elevate the same. This restoring rod or stem is articulated to a rocker-arm, that is disposed to the rear of a spring-jack opening or thimble provided for connection with the line to which the annunciator is to correspond. This rockerarm is desirably provided with an axis of rotation that lies within a horizontal plane containing or closely approaching the axis of the thimblc of the spring-jack. The axis of rotation of the rocker-arm is most desirably transverse to the axis of the spring-jacks thimble. The restoring-stem is linked to the upper end of the rocker-arm, that desirably projects considerably above the spring-jacks thimble. By the location of the rocker-arms pivot in the place specified a comparatively small movement of that portion of the rockerarm engaged by the plug as it is being inserted within the spring-jack will cause a comparatively large movement of the restoring-stem, so that the shutter may be fully restored. The rocker-arm is desirably maintained in its thrown position as long as the plug engages the jack, so that the annunciator may well act as a line-indicator and be unresponsive to clearing-(mt currents if for any reason the said indicator should be maintained in circuit when the connection is established.

The combined annunciator and spring-jack is adapted for service in telphone-exchange systems and may be either cut out of circuit when connection is effected between subscribers or constantly maintained in circuit, as desired. \Ve do not wish, however, to be limited to an anmmciator which in all its forms is incapable of operating when a clearing-out signal is transmitted.

The rocker-arm is desirably provided with an aperture constituting a continuation of the bore of the thimble of the spring-jack, which bore continuation is normally angularly disposed with respect to the stationary portion of the bore. By this arrangement the rockerarm is positively moved and positively maintained in the position to which it is moved by the plug in its passage to the springs of the spring-jack, between which springs and the stationary jack-thimble the rocker-arm is preferably interposed.

Another feature of our invention resides in means whereby the night-bell or signal circuits may be readily formed with a minimum amount of wiring, to which end we preferably provide each annunciator frame or support (which support is preferably a rectangular block of insulating material) with a pair of terminals, preferablyspring-terminals, which when in place on the board engage other terminals, those engaged terminals closing the night-bell circuit with the exception of the contacts at the annunciator-levcr or other moving part. \Ye preferably provide the board with strips of conducting. material, most desirably arranged vertically, between which strips the said supportirig-blocks of the annunciators are adapted to be placed, the terminals carried by the blocks engaging the strips. These strips are divided into two groups, the strips of one group alternating with the strips of the other group, the strips of one group constituting the multiple terminals of the night-bell circuit, while the strips of the other group constitute another set of multiple terminals of the night-bell circuit. Any pair of terminals are adapted for electrical connection through the agency of the armature-lever of the annunciator interposed betwcen the same.

\Ve will explain our invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure l is a view in elevation, partially in section, of an annunciator constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the annunciator. Fig. 3 is a view from beneath. Fig. 4: is a rear view of a front plate that supports the annunciator structure.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The annunciator is preferably mounted upon a front block of insulating material a, there being preferably a bracket 5 fastened upon the rear of the block a at its upper portion and screwed to the shell or sheath 0 of an electromagnet (Z. The armature a of the annunciator-magnet is pivoted upon screws ff, that are passed through the side members of the bracket 5. The annunciator or armature-lever g is desirably carried near the upper end of the armature, and in order that the structure may be made very simple the armature is desirably disposed at the front end of the magnet, the armature-screws being so placed with respect to the armature as to cause the armature to be normally slightly removed from the opposing pole of the electro magnet. The said lever projects through the opening in plate a and is designed to project through the opening in the shutter or drop 71 when the shutter is elevated, the said shutter desirably having provided thereon the number of the annunciator. hen the armature is attracted, the lever g is depressed, permitting the shutter it to fall by gravity. A reciprocating rod 6 is designed to be moved through an aperture in the block a into engagement with the shutter when fallen to restore the same, the tail of the shutter being projected slightly below its pivot for the purpose of such engagement. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the aperture in the block a, through which the rod 2 passes, is slightly enlarged to permit free movement of said rod therein. The rod or stem i is articulated to a rocker-arm Z: at the upper end of said arm. The said rockerarm is pivoted at Z, back of the spring-jack thimble m, and is desirably enlarged to form a bore 02., that corresponds in size with and may be said to constitute a continuation of the bore of the spring-jack thimble m. It

will be seen that a movement of the rockerl arm will cause a movement of the stem 2' by means of the pivot connection of the said stem. The rocker-arm is preferably so pivoted as to normally keep an inclined position, so that when the plug 0 of a cord-circuit is inserted within the thimble it may engage the bore 72.

of the rocker-arm and cause a rotation of the upper portion of the said arm toward the front plate a, so that the shutter which has previously fallen may be engaged by the rod or stem i and thrust into engagement with the lever g. The springsp q of the spring-jack are preferably disposed to the rear of the rocker-arm, while the rocker-arm is preferably disposed between thethimble and the springs. The pivot Z by being placed in the position shown causes the center of gravity of the rocker-arm 7a to be located to the rear of the pivot, whereby the said rocker-arm assumes the position indicated When it is free of engagement with the plug, whereby the stem a is immediately Withdrawn, so that subsequently the shutter may again be actuated on the occasion of a new signal.

l/Ve have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the line connections of the annunciator, as the annunciator may be useful in association with the variety of circuit connections.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An annunciator havingasignaling mechanism including a hinged shutter, a j ack-switch in association With said annunciator and having a plug,'a restoring mechanism cooperating with said signaling mechanism and being provided with a rod, and a rocker-arm articulated with said rod, said rocker-arm being pivotally mounted to normally occupy an inclined position and located in operating alinement with said jack-switch, said rocker-arm having a bore wherewith said plug may cooperate causing said rod to actuate said shutter, substantially as described.

2. An annunciator havingasignaling mechanism, a jack-switch in association with said annunciator and having a plug, and a restoring mechanism cooperating With said signaling mechanism and provided with a rod and rocker-arm articulated with each other and located in operating alinement with said jackswitch, said rocker-arm having a bore wherewith said plug may cooperate, causing said restoring mechanism to actuate said signaling mechanism, substantially as described.

In witness whereof We hereunto subscribe our names this 8th day of June, A. D. 1903.

CHARLES C. CADDEN. JAMES I. GEMMILL.

WVitnesses:

F. H. LINCOLN, M. RosENBAUM. 

